Amberg – chosen one of the 100 best places for food and drink in Bavaria in 2018…

…and for good reason!

Beer – it’s Bavaria’s fifth element! And a dietary staple since time immemorial.

The beer-brewing tradition in Amberg dates back to the 15th century. As early as 1490, Franciscan monks were already making the hoppy brew in Amberg. In 1860, an incredible 40 breweries called the unofficial capital of the Upper Palatinate region their home. With six family-run breweries* to its approximately 45,000 inhabitants, Amberg still has a large selection of specialty beers on offer today.

In keeping with the motto that you should only drink beer on days that end in a Y, Germany’s most liveable and loveable city celebrates beer in all its facets. Here are a couple of suggestions for a memorable (beer) experience in Amberg:

Flatboat tours on the river Vils with beer tasting

Travel down the river Vils as in bygone days – on a traditional flatboat called a Vilskahn or Plätte – past Amberg’s landmark Stadtbrille (“town spectacles”), a water gate in the old city wall. The journey passes through the premises of the former state garden exhibition, today a city park. An exclusive Plättenfahrt with beer tasting promises to be a complete cultural experience. You will learn lots of interesting facts about Amberg’s brewery scene with a selection of beers that can be enjoyed together with a little snack. As a small souvenir, you can even take home the beer glass from the Plätte with you.

This festival goes back to a vow made by the people of Amberg during the plague and war year of 1634. The needy townsfolk asked the Virgin Mary for help and vowed to perform a yearly pilgrimage in thanks if salvation came. These pilgrimages enjoyed increasing popularity in the following years, which caused the number of hungry and especially thirsty pilgrims to rise enormously. So the locals served beer and roasted sausages – in Amberg, of course, over a traditional pine cone fire called a “Butzlküh”, which gives the sausages their particularly good taste. The special attraction of this festival is impossible to describe; you just have to experience it for yourself!

29 June – 7 July 2019

The Beers of Amberg – Special Exhibition in the City Museum

This special exhibition was launched in 2016 for the 500th anniversary of the German Beer Purity Law, and it continues to enjoy great popularity to this day.

On display is a variety of rare brewery items including jugs, beer coasters, bottles with clip closure, labels, wheat beer glasses and advertising signs from bygone days from Amberg’s brewing past.

Image by Feige Foto Design

Amberg Beer Fest

Since 2016, all six of Amberg’s breweries have organised the large Amberg Beer Fest in the heated marquee on the Blechwiese (directly behind the Vienna House Easy).

Guests can convince themselves of the quality and variety of the beers – around 50 different types of beer are on offer. Good food and good cheer are guaranteed! Admission is free and a specially designed ProBierKrug beer mug is also available. 26–28 April 2019 on the Blechwiese directly behind the hotel.